Gunmen have abducted several passengers, including candidates of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), along the Makurdi–Otukpo road in Benue State.

The victims were travelling in a Benue Links bus from Makurdi to Otukpo on Wednesday night when the vehicle was attacked around 8 pm near Otukpo.

According to police authorities, 14 passengers were taken into the bush by the assailants, while one victim managed to escape.

The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed that he is personally leading a rescue operation in the area, alongside divisional police officers and other security personnel.

“We are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” he said.

Sources indicated that many of the passengers were young candidates heading to Otukpo to sit for the UTME scheduled for Thursday.

Authorities also revealed that the bus driver may have violated the transport company’s policy against night travel by picking up passengers after official hours, a factor now under investigation.

The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed that security operatives have been deployed into nearby forests to track down the kidnappers and secure the release of the victims.

The Makurdi–Otukpo road has witnessed repeated attacks in recent months, raising fresh concerns over the safety of commuters in the area.